Latifolius
/lat-ih-FOH-lee-us/🏷️ Taxonomy●● Intermediate
Also known as: latifolia, latifolium
A leaf epithet describing a plant with notably wide or broad leaves, often contrasting it with narrow-leaved relatives. It is one of the most useful distinguishing epithets in genera that contain both broad- and narrow-leaved species. Appears as latifolius (masculine), latifolia (feminine), or latifolium (neuter).
Etymology
From Latin latus (wide, broad) + folium (leaf).
Example
“Typha latifolia (broadleaf cattail) contrasts with Typha angustifolia (narrowleaf cattail), with the epithet immediately signaling the key difference between these two marsh plants.”